Marcos after Ayungin incident: PH needs to do more than protest

FILE: CCG personnel were caught on camera brandishing bladed and pointed weapons threatening to injure AFP troops during the humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on June 17. (Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said the Philippines needs to do more than just the usual filing of diplomatic protest against China following the June 17 incident in Ayungin Shoal, which he described as a “deliberate, illegal action” by the Chinese forces.

In a media interview, Marcos said the government has protested the incident in Ayungin Shoal that left one Navy personnel severely hurt, and made the Philippines’ objection and position very clear.

“We have made our position very clear, we have made our objections to some of the actions that were undertaken by the maritime forces of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army). Also our objection, we have made it very clear not only to the (Chinese) ambassador but also to Beijing. So it will really depend on how formal we want to make this complaint,” he said.

But the President hinted that the country is eyeing for more than just filing a protest.

“But you know, we have, we have how many, we have over a hundred protests. We have already made a similar number of demarches, so we have to do more than just that,” Marcos said.

“Kasi papatawag natin ‘yung ambassador, sasabihin natin ito ‘yung position natin, hindi natin gusto yung nangyari, and that’s it. But we have to do more than that, so we are doing just that (Because we will summon the ambassador, we will say our position, that we don’t like what happened, and that’s it. But we have to do more than that, so we are doing just that),” he said.

Not armed attack but illegal

China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels rammed a Philippine government ship, all while its personnel brandished bladed weapons and seized disassembled rifles, during the country’s rotation and resupply (RORE) mission in the BRP Sierra Madre on June 17.

During the confrontation, a Filipino soldier had his thumb cut off after it got caught between Philippine and Chinese boats.

The incident, which has drawn international condemnation, cannot be considered an armed attack as no guns were used, Marcos said.

Nonetheless, he said the Philippines sees the incident as an “illegal action” carried out by the Chinese forces.

“Although there were no arms involved, nonetheless it is still a deliberate action and it is essentially an illegal action that was taken by the Chinese forces,” Marcos told Palace reporters.